Apparatus for producing textile fabrics



May 13, 195 T. H. JOHNSON ET AL APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Aug. 16, 1949 JNVENTORJ. W/RT L. THOMPSON, JR. THOMAS H. JOHNSON Iil fi f ATTORNEY.

Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING TEXTILE ABRICS Thomas H. Johnson, Elmhurst, N. Y., and Wirt L. Thompson, Jr., Fail-field, Conn., assignors to American Viscose Corporation,

Wilmington,

16 Claims. 1

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the conversion of the components which aresplittable from a warp-knit fabric, made as disclosed in the patent of Thomas H. Johnson 2,433,279, into textile fabrics, such as by weaving, knitting, and the like.

The Johnson Patent 2,433,279 discloses the production by warp knitting of fabrics which can subsequently be ripped or split at predetermined wales into narrow strips or bands. Each of such component fabrics which are thus split out comprises a main body which may have from one to four or more wales from the edges of which a plurality of loops project. In our copending application Serial No. 62,606., filed November 30, 1948, now Patent No. 2,552,680, we have disclosed a method and apparatus for splitting the integral fabric of the Johnson patent and we there disclosed the conversion of the split components into woven, knitted, or other textile fabrics.

In accordance with our present invention, we provide an improved method and a modified machine for concurrently splitting such an integral fabric into its components and fabricating the components directly into a textile structure. A more specific object is to provide amethod of splitting such a fabric and directly converting the components thereof into a woven fabric or a knitted fabric as components of the warp thereof. A more specific object of the invention is to provide a loom adapted to support a beam carrying the integral fabric in the position of the usual warp supply beam and to split the fabric unwound from the beam into its components and then to pass the components to the fabricating mechanism of the loom. Another specific object is to provide a knitting machine adapted to support a wound roll of integral fabric and to feed the integral fabric to splitting means and then to the knitting elements thereof where the components are converted into a knitted fabric. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing, which is illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a knitting machine in accordance with the invention, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a loom in accordance with the invention, conventional parts being shown somewhat diagrammatically.

In general, the invention comprises the mount ing of a roll of splittable fabric of the type produced in the Johnson Patent 2,433,279 for unwinding, asin a loom or other textile fabricating the split components to the fabricating mechanism of the machine. The split components are used to form the warp or part thereof in the fabric when it is woven or to take the place of either one, several, or all of the warp supplies of a. warpknitting machine, such as the tricot or Raschel type knitting machines. The several component strips split from the fabric roll may also be converted in any type of flat knitting machine other than tricot, Raschel, or warp-knitting machine,

and the components may even serve as the supply for a circular knitting machine or a braiding machine. The split components derived from the integral fabric serve as individual yarns and most conveniently as the warp yarns in looms or warpknitting machines, but they may be the source of supply of any part or all of the yarns used in other textile fabricating machines, such as braiding machines, machines for forming netted or knotted fabrics, etc.

Figure 1 shows the application of the invention to a knitting machine, and particularly a warp-knitting machine. As shown, the machine comprises the end frames 3 containing suitable hearings or supports 4 for a beam or roll 5, upon which the wound splittabl fabric is carried. The beam 5 may be positively driven, either continuously or intermittently, or it may be allowed to rotate under the influence of the knitting elements as they draw upon the components in making the fabric. Conventional braking or drag devices may also be provided to control the let-off from the beam 5. In warp-knitting machines, the yarns from one or more warp supplies proceed about suitable guides and. about one or more tension rods disposed above the knittrolled as is conventional in the art, and then down to the knitting elements comprising the guides 1 carried in the back guide bar 8, the guides 9 in the front of guide bar ID, the presser bar I I,

a the sinkers I2, and the needles 13. From the knitting elements, which are driven from cams or eccentrics on the main cam shaft of the machine as is conventional, the fabric formed passes over a guide rod 14 to the take-up roll l5 which is suitably driven by conventional means not shown.

In the present knitting machine, there is provided between the warp supply and the tension means 6, means for splitting the splittable fabric withdrawn from the beam 5. This means may consist simply of the set of four rods, IS, l1, l8 and I9, which extend transversely of the machine in front of the supply beam 5, generally parallel to the axis "or thesupply beam. Preferably, two of the rods"; I8 and [9, are spaced apart rather closely to provide a narrow passage through which the splittable fabric is passed and the other two rods, l6 and I1, are fairly widely spaced apart,

As shown, the rods of each pair are vertically super one on either side of the first two rods.

imposed though this is not essential. They may,

if desired, be offset in a horizontal plane or at any angle between the horizontal and the vertical." If desired, the rods I6 and I! may be in thesame plane as rods l8 and H), or they may be offset I91 As shown in Figur'el, the separated components proceed about a c o'mmon tensiohing guide 6 but, if desired, each separated gro pier yarn like components may be passed ovegseparate' tensioningfrods. Also 'one set of alternate components may be passed through the guides I andthe other set through the guides 9, 301: all of them maybe passed through either the front or thejbacksetof guides to form a singlebarf'fabricg While the machine illustrated showslonly two' guide bars, the splitting means maybe provided on machineshaving one, 'three,

or: morel guidebars and the yarn-like components maybe distributed as desired amongthe several guidebars in accordance with the requirements ofany particularj fabric designed. f

In Figure 2', a loom is diagrammatically shown inwhich the splitting device comprising rods lt I 1a,] Ba and [909 is disposed infront of the supporting means 4c for't he warp beam 5a which carries a roll of s'plittable fabric instead of the ul elibe a o indiv a war ya ns Y n.- l ke. qmpqnents'. split. om e b proceed. rPmth1 p itt ne C 9. we n, t t wa or; rollers" and 2 I which bring the two sets of cgmponents back, into proximity; and then the om mien s ro eed ue uitab e. ne s which may'comprisethe two framesZZ and 23,

eachcontaining the heddles 24; and 25; These frames are alternately reciprocated in opposite o warp yarns as is conventional. From the harnessjthe yarns passthroughthe reed 26 which isfrnounted on an oscillating frame21, known as the lay, which also carries the race 21A over which afshuttlezfl is traversed through'the shed formed by the two sets of warp yarns. The propulsion of the shuttle. is achieved by the striking actions of .thepick er sticks 29 and 30. The fabric formed proc'eeds'over'a roll 3| to the take-up 32 which may be driven in conventional fashion.

,The'presentinventidn provide a simple and effective procedure for converting yarn-like components of a splittable fabric directlyinto a tax tile fabric structure ina single operation. For this; Purpose, a rollj'of the splittable fabric I is tions'toform the shed between the'two sets directly mounted as the supply of a textile fabricating machine and the integral fabric withdrawn from the roll is split into its components which serve as warp yarns or the like in the subsequent fabricating operations of the machine. By this system, handling by operators separately (1) splitting the fabric, (2) winding 'the split components" into a roll or separate bobbins,'and (3) finally converting the components into fabrics is greatly reduced with a consequent saving in labor, machine-, and space-requirements.

In forming fabrics from the warp-knit components by the methods and means disclosed hereinabove, the warp-knit components may be combined with ordinary yarns of any material whatsoever in anydesired relationship. Thus in a loom, the warp may be derived from several ordinary yarns may be alternated with an equal number ofthe warp'fknit split component struc-'* tures or each "end'of ordinary yarn 'r'nay' be'alter-"- nated with 'two, three or any number of "warp:

knit, split components, either in a regular alter nation'or in a pattern alternation of more'or less irregularity. Similarly, inknitting or otherwisefabricating'a textile structure, a roll ofsplittable warp-knit fabricmay beus'ed with one or 'more rollsof'ordinaryyarns. Thus in forming'threedesired, instead'of, or" in 'additionto, "combining bar't'ricot fabricsjone warp supply maybe derived fror'na splittable wa'r'p 'knit fabricywhereas the others may'be derived from"'ordinaryya'rns' If the ordinary yarns with the split components' of a warp-knit fabric," the split components "of another style or pattern of 'warp knit'fabric may be" used? 'By appropriate variations of this"type, 'a

wide variety of fabrics can be obtained. "The fabrics are 'extremelyattr'a'ctive and-can be as otherpopolymers of acrylonitrile. The warp knit components may beof the sameor'differ'e'nt material's. i I Iti's to be understood that changes and variations may be spirit and scope -of the invention;

'We'c1aim:""" 1. "A machine for fabricating textile structures comprising means for supporting a wound sup ply'froll of' a" Warp-knit fabridsplittableiin a longitudinal directionfmeans adjacent "the supply' for splitting such fabric into its components;

andmeans "comprising relatively movable elemerits for fabricating the split components into' 4 A'knittihg machine comprising the struc ture defined in clai'ml.

structure defined in claim/11f" '6; ri m achinefor fabricating textile structures 5. A" warp-knittting machine comprising the made without departing from the comprising means for supporting a wound supply roll of a warp-knit fabric splittahle in a longitudinal direction, means adjacent the supply for splitting such fa'cric into its components, and means comprising relatively movable elements for fabricating the split components into a textile structure, said splitt ng means comprising a pair of spaced rods extending transversely of the machine in advance of the roll supporting means and providing a narrow passage therebetween for the fabric and a second pair of guide rods each of which is disposed on opposite sides of the first-mentioned rods.

7. A loom for weaving textile fabrics comprising the structure defined in claim 6.

8. A knitting machine comprising the struc ture defined in claim 6.

9. A warp-knitting machine comprising the structure defined in claim 6.

10. A machine in accordance with claim 6 in which the rods extend transversely of the machine in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the supply roll.

11. A loom for weaving textile fabrics comprising the structure defined in claim 10.

12. A knitting machine comprising the structure defined in claim 10.

13. A machine for fabricating textile structures comprising supply means adapted to receive a wound roll of a warp-knit fabric splittable in a longitudinal direction, means adjacent the supply means for splitting such fabric into its components, and means comprising relatively movable elements for fabricating the split components into a textile structure, said sp1itting means comprising spaced rods between which the fabric is passed and additional spaced rods around which alternate split components are passed, said rods extending transversely of the machine in a direction generally parallel to the of the supply roll.

14. A loom for weaving textile fabrics comprising the structure defined in claim 13.

15. A knitting machine comprising the strucdefined in claim 13.

16. A warp-knitting machine comprising the structure defined in claim 13.

THOMAS H. JOHNSON. VVIRT L. THOMPSON, JR.

GITEB The following references are of record. in the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,769,970 Silverman July 8, 1930 2,064,074 McNarnee Dec. 15, 1936 2,169,886 Shaw Aug. 15, 1939 2,433,279 Johnson Dec, 23, 1947 2,49%,883 Taylor Mar. '7, 1950 

